Lahti Pelicans

Last updated

Lahti Pelicans
Lahti Pelicans logo.svg
City Lahti
League Liiga
Founded1996 (1996)
Home arena Isku Areena
ColoursLight blue, black, white, gold
    
Owner(s) Pasi Nurminen
Sami Kallinen
Jarno Lindeman
Petri Kumpulainen
Tomi Veijalainen [1]
Valtteri Bottas
Head coach Juhamatti Yli-Junnila
Affiliate Peliitat
Website pelicans.fi
Pelicans uudet peliasut.png

The Lahti Pelicans are a Finnish professional ice hockey team playing in the Liiga, Finland. Founded in 1996, they play in the city of Lahti at Isku Arena. The team is co-owned by (among others) former National Hockey League (NHL) goaltender Pasi Nurminen and Formula One racecar driver Valtteri Bottas.

Contents

History

Viipurin Reipas (1891–1964)

Viipurin Reipas was a sports club located in Vyborg. They won the first ever Finnish Ice Hockey Championship in 1928 with a team consisting mostly of bandy players. After Vyborg was taken from Finland by Soviet Union during World War II, the club relocated to Lahti where it continued under its original name until renamed to Lahden Reipas.

Lahden Reipas (1964–1975)

Reipas spent five seasons in SM-sarja from 1965 to 1970. Their best finish was sixth in 1965–66.

Kiekkoreipas (1975–1989)

Kiekkoreipas was formed in 1975 to take over hockey operations from Lahden Reipas. They finished top of the league in recently formed First Division in 1975–76 and won promotion to SM-liiga after finishing second in the qualifying series.

Kiekkoreipas spent nine seasons in SM-liiga. In 1978–79 they achieved their highest regular season position, finishing fifth. Their sole playoff appearance came in 1981–82 when they finished sixth and lost to eventual champions Tappara 2–0 in the opening round. After the 1981–82 season, many key players left the club and the team started to gradually fall in the standings. Kiekkoreipas was relegated at the end of the 1984–85 season.

Kiekkoreipas spent four seasons in the First Division and came close to returning to SM-liiga after the 1987–88 season when they lost the best-of-five promotion playoffs to KooKoo 3–2.

Hockey Reipas (1989–1992)

After the 1988–89 season, a new organization called Hockey Reipas was formed to take over the men’s team from Kiekkoreipas, who continued to take care of junior hockey operations. The 1989–90 season was a success on the ice as the team finished second in the First Division and earned promotion to SM-liiga by beating KooKoo in the playoffs 3–1.

However, the team that won the promotion was an expensive one featuring proven talent such as center Matti Hagman, 1988 Olympic silver medalist Erkki Laine and two World Champions from Czechoslovakia's 1985 team, goaltender Jaromír Šindel and winger Oldřich Válek.

The 1990–91 season was a modest success. Hockey Reipas finished seventh and recorded club records in wins (21) and points (44). The team remained in the playoff contention to the penultimate day of the season, but two major setbacks in the final stages of the season were too big to overcome. First, Šindel suffered a season-ending injury and shortly after, Válek was banned until November for hitting a referee in Turku. [2]

In the spring of 1991, the team's poor financial status was apparent and many key players left the team. Hockey Reipas spent most of the 1991–92 season in the bottom two. However, a season-ending six-game unbeaten streak and a replay win against Tappara was enough to lift the team into tenth place and out of relegation playoffs.

Formation of Reipas Lahti and relegation (1992–1994)

Hockey Reipas finally went bankrupt after the 1991–92 season. A new organization, titled Reipas Lahti, was quickly formed to take over Hockey Reipas' operations. The new organization was led by chairman Kari Naskinen while Esko Nokelainen remained as a head coach. [3] The unclear situation caused a mass exodus of players during the off-season. Prospects Marko Jantunen and Niko Marttila left for KalPa and HPK, respectively. Goaltender Jaromír Šindel was signed by Tappara. Other notable departures were forwards Tommy Kiviaho and Jyrki Poikolainen and defencemen Teemu Sillanpää and Jarmo Jokilahti.

Despite signing defenceman Jiří Látal from the National Hockey League's Philadelphia Flyers, the 1992–93 season was a disaster, as the team recorded a new league record of 39 losses in 48 games. When Reipas lost the first game of the relegation series against KooKoo, Nokelainen was finally fired from the club. He was replaced by Kari Mäkinen. Reipas went unbeaten for the rest of the series, winning four of the remaining five games. Reipas finished first in the series and secured a place in SM-liiga for the next season.

The 1993–94 off-season saw the departures of another two prospects, defenceman Erik Kakko and centre Toni Sihvonen. Poor finances limited the summer signings, but former crowd favourite Oldřich Válek returned after his two-year spell in Norway. Válek was a shadow of his former self, recording just 2 goals in 17 games before his contract was terminated. Mäkinen continued as a head coach but lasted just seven games, all of which the team lost. He was replaced by Jukka-Ville Jääsalmi, who managed to guide the team to just 14 points in 41 games. The 40 losses in 48 games were a new league record. On relegation series Reipas finished last, marking the end of a four-year spell in the top flight.

First division years (1994–1999)

After the relegation, the team underwent a massive overhaul. Only a few players from the 1993–94 roster remained and many spots were filled by players from the under-20 team. Russian Sergei Grisintshov was appointed as head coach. 1994–95 season saw the team finish eighth, missing the playoffs.

The following season saw the return of veteran defenceman Kari Eloranta from Rögle BK and a slight improvement on ice as the team finished sixth. Even with improved results, Grisintshov was sacked with just five games remaining of the regular season. He was replaced by Eloranta, who continued as a player-coach. Reipas made the playoffs, but were eliminated in the first round by SaPKo. The public interest was waning and in 1995–96 the average attendance was well below 1,000 per game.

Before the 1996–97 season, the team was renamed to Lahti Pelicans. "Pelican" was adopted as the team mascot and the traditional colours of white, orange and black were abandoned in favour of green and yellow. On ice, the team also continued to improve, finishing third in the regular season with 55 points. A new image and improved results also sparked a new-found interest by the public, as the average attendance rose to over 1,400 per game. In the playoffs, Pelicans were eliminated in the first round by Haukat 3–2.

The 1997–98 season would see another top three finish. In the playoffs, the Pelicans first swept FPS 3–0 and came close to relegating KalPa, losing the best-of-five series 3–2. The final game was decided in overtime.

In 1998–99, the Pelicans finished second with 67 points, 19 points behind the winners Oulun Kärpät. The playoffs were a different story, as Pelicans swept both Hermes and Sport in three games while Kärpät were eliminated by TuTo in the first round. In the final round, the Pelicans beat KalPa 3–0 and were promoted to SM-liiga after a five-year absence. The Pelicans allowed just six goals in nine games during the playoff run. Acquired mid-season, veteran winger Jouko Myrrä scored a team-leading seven goals in the playoffs.

Return to SM-liiga (1999–2002)

The 1999–2000 season, the team's first season in SM-liiga, would prove to be a difficult one. Despite opening the campaign with two wins, a 17-game winless streak with just three ties followed. The team recorded just eight wins and 24 points in 54 games, finishing last 15 points behind Ässät. On the first round of relegation playoffs, the Pelicans swept Diskos 3–0 and went on to face Oulun Kärpät in the final round. The Pelicans lost the series 3–1 and were relegated. However, their top flight status was restored as the SM-liiga was expanded to 13 teams and closed from promotion.

Despite adding much needed veteran presence to the team, the 2000–01 season started slowly and by late November, the Pelicans was placed second-to-last, just few points ahead of Ässät. A five-game winning streak before Christmas turned the season around and the team finished seventh, securing their second-ever playoff appearance and recording club records in wins (22), ties (11), goals scored (170) and points (55). Journeyman winger Tommi Turunen had a career season with 55 points while Jan Latvala's 35 points were a club record for defenceman.

The 2000–01 postseason would prove out to be short as Pelicans lost 3–0 to TPS, who would eventually win their third straight championship.

The 2001–02 season saw a strong start for the team as they went nine games unbeaten and topped the league. The Pelicans could not maintain the momentum throughout the season, finishing fifth, and tying the club record for highest ever SM-liiga finish. The team also set new club records in wins (31) and points (68). Mikko Peltola's 38 assists were a new club record.

In the playoffs, the Pelicans were eliminated by TPS 3–1, but managed to record club's first ever playoff win by winning Game 2 in overtime by Toni Koivunen's goal.

Financial troubles (2002–2005)

After the successful 2001–02 season, six of the ten leading scorers and head coach Kari Eloranta left the team. [4] [5] His replacement was his former assistant coach, Petteri Hirvonen. The following season 2002–03 saw a turn for the worse as the Pelicans finished second-to-last with 36 points, seven points ahead of bottom-placed Ilves.

The 2003–04 season started dismally and on October 22, 2003, after just two wins and four ties in 15 games, Hirvonen was fired. [6] He was replaced by his assistant coach, Petteri Sihvonen, who led the team to just five regulation time wins in 41 games. The Pelicans finished last, nine points behind SaiPa. Dwindling attendance and dire financial straits led to the wholesale of key players during the season and finally in February 2004, the club applied for debt restructuring. [7]

Defenceman Erik Kakko returned [8] for the 2004–05 season, but the team did not fare any better. Under the guidance of rookie coach, Petri Matikainen, the team finished last for the second time in a row, recording just seven regulation time wins in 56 games. In April 2005, finally saw the arrival of new ownership led by Pasi Nurminen, who had played 16 games for the Pelicans during the season due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout. [9]

Return to playoffs (2005–2009)

Matikainen left Pelicans after just one season and he was replaced by Jami Kauppi. Despite stronger financial situation, the team continued to under perform and on October 26, 2005, Kauppi was fired after recording just 2 wins in 16 games. [10] He was first replaced by general manager Ilkka Kaarna and on January 7, 2006, by former Finland national team head coach Hannu Aravirta. [11] Coaching changes turned the 2005–06 season around, but a strong second half wasn't enough to lift the team into the playoffs. The Pelicans finished 12th, five points adrift of the last playoff spot.

The 2006–07 season saw the return of Marko Jantunen [12] as well as a return to playoffs after a five-year absence. The Pelicans finished tenth and recorded their first ever playoff series win by beating TPS in the preliminary round 2–0. During the quarter-finals, they were eliminated in four-straight games by eventual champions Kärpät. The Pelicans managed to score just two goals in the series. Jantunen lead the team in scoring with 41 points alongside centre Matias Loppi.

During the 2007–08 season, the Pelicans set new records in wins (33), goals scored (176), fewest goals against (142) and total points (98), finishing sixth and earning a place in the quarter-finals. Their quarter-final match-up was Jokerit, who went on to win the best-of-seven series in six games. After the season, starting goalie Antti Niemi signed with NHL's Chicago Blackhawks. [13] Loppi set new club records in points (58) and assists (40).

After losing key players Niemi and Loppi, [14] the 2008–09 season started slowly. A second-half surge was enough to land the team ninth, securing a third consecutive playoff appearance. During the preliminary round, the Pelicans eliminated Ilves in three games. The last game was decided in overtime by Olli Julkunen's goal as Pelicans won 3–2. [15] During the quarterfinals, the Pelicans lost the series to Blues 3–4, despite leading the series 3–2.

Out of playoffs (2009–2011)

Tommi Nikkila was the Pelicans goalkeeper from 2008 to 2010 Nikkila Tommi Pelicans 2009 1.jpg
Tommi Nikkilä was the Pelicans goalkeeper from 2008 to 2010

Aravirta left the Pelicans after the 2008–09 season. His replacement was Mika Toivola, who had led Ässät to the finals in 2006. [16] The 2009–10 season saw the team miss the playoffs for the first time since 2006, finishing 12th. Summer acquisition Juhamatti Aaltonen [17] led the league in goals scored with 28. The season would also prove to be the last for many veteran players such as Marko Jantunen, Erik Kakko and Toni Koivunen.

The start of the 2010–11 season saw the team struggling under the guidance of Toivola despite a number of high-profile summer signings such as NHL veteran Mike York, Dwight Helminen, Matias Loppi and defenceman Jyri Marttinen. [18] [19] [20] Finally, after a six-game losing streak, Toivola was terminated on October 24, 2010. His replacement was assistant coach Pasi Räsänen. [21] Despite a promising start with two wins in the first three games, Räsänen failed to turn the team around and during November, with starting goaltender Niko Hovinen injured, the Pelicans recorded a nine-game losing streak. The Pelicans finished last with 59 points, just one point adrift of safety. During the relegation playoffs, they beat Vaasan Sport in four-straight games. [22]

First medal (2011–2012)

Räsänen's contract was not renewed for the next season. The Pelicans' initial choice was Kari Jalonen, but he opted to coach in the Kontinental Hockey League instead. [23] Finally, Kai Suikkanen, who had won the championship with TPS in 2010, was recruited as head coach on March 30, 2011. [24]

The 2011–12 season would prove out to be by far the most successful season by that point. The team finished second and set new club records in points (111), wins (39) and goals scored (213). Forward Ryan Lasch led the league in scoring with 62 points and Markus Seikola's 16 goals were a league high for defencemen.

In the quarter-finals, the Pelicans met Kärpät, but despite winning the first game 5–0, they lost three-straight and were facing elimination. The Pelicans rebounded with a 4–2 home win in game 5. Game 6 in Oulu was decided in overtime by Radek Smoleňák's goal. A late- season acquisition, [25] Smoleňák scored the game-winning goal also in Game 7 as the Pelicans won 3–2 and advanced to semi-finals for the first time in club history.

In the semi-finals, the Pelicans defeated Blues in five games to earn a place in the finals against JYP. The Pelicans started the series with a 2–0 home win, but lost the following four games as JYP won their second championship in three years. The final two games of the series were decided in overtime. Lasch lead the league also in playoff scoring with 16 points in 17 games. Smolenak's eight goals tied him alongside team captain Arttu Luttinen in the lead for goals scored.

Decline (2012–2015)

During the 2012–13 off-season, the team saw a mass exodus of key players, three of whom left for the NHL: defenceman Joonas Järvinen signed with the Nashville Predators, [26] Lasch left for the Anaheim Ducks [27] and goaltender Niko Hovinen joined the Philadelphia Flyers. [28] Other notable departures were Arttu Luttinen and centres Justin Hodgman [29] and Tero Koskiranta. [30] Pelicans' summer signings included two former NHL first-round draft picks: centres Angelo Esposito [31] and Ryan O'Marra, [32] journeyman winger Lee Goren [33] and defenceman Danny Richmond. [34] None of the acquisitions finished the entire 2012–13 season with Pelicans. [35] [36] [37] [38]

During the 2012–13 season, Pelicans was at the bottom of the table with Ilves. A strong second half saw the team move back into playoff contention. They were eliminated from the playoffs on the last day of the season, finishing 11th.

After the season, Suikkanen left for TPS [39] and he was replaced with Hannu Aravirta. [40] The 2013–14 season started strongly, and with just 1 overtime loss in 11 games as Pelicans topped the league. However, an 11-game losing streak around Christmas saw the team to fall out of the playoff spots. [41] Another turnaround followed and just six regulation time losses in 25 final games were enough to land the team eighth place, which guaranteed a return to playoffs after a one-year absence.

Pelicans beat HIFK in the preliminary round 2–0. Both games were decided in overtime. In the quarter-finals, Tappara would prove to be too strong an opponent, winning the best-of-seven series in six games.

The 2014–15 season saw yet another head coach change as Aravirta was replaced by Tomi Lämsä. The team struggled with injuries throughout the season and when being out of playoff contention by February, key players like centres Tyler Redenbach and Tommi Paakkolanvaara and wingers Michal Řepík and Jordan Smotherman were released in order to cut financial losses. [42] [43] [44] Pelicans finally finished 12th with 68 points. The poor showing cost Lämsä his position as he was fired just days after the regular season ended. [45]

Resurgence (2015–2019)

After Lämsä was fired, Petri Matikainen was appointed as a new head coach with a three-year contract on March 16, 2015. Pasi Nurminen joined the coaching staff as an assistant coach. [46]

The 2015–16 season saw the Pelicans climb back to playoff contention as they finished ninth with 89 points, a 21-point improvement from previous season. NHL veteran Ryan Potulny led the team in scoring with 36 points while Juha Leimu's 18 goals were a league-high for defencemen.

The regular season was filled with controversy, as multiple players from Pelicans earned suspensions during the season. Defenceman Ben Blood was suspended for a total of 15 games for five incidents, [47] while winger Dane Byers was suspended for a total of seven games for two separate incidents. [48] [49]

The Pelicans eliminated KalPa in the opening round of the playoffs 2–1, despite losing the series opener in overtime, and went on to face regular season leaders HIFK in the quarter-finals. After trailing the series 2–0, the Pelicans tied the series with a 4–2 away win in Game 3 and an overtime win at home in Game 4. The Pelicans were eliminated when HIFK won the next two games, both ending 2–1.

The steady improvement continued in the 2016–17 season, as Pelicans finished sixth with 93 points. The season saw the return of many familiar players as Justin Hodgman, Karri Rämö, Mikko Kousa and Antti Tyrväinen were all signed during the season. [50] [51] [52] [53] However, injuries limited Hodgman to 26 and Kousa to 20 appearances. The playoffs turned out disappointing as Pelicans were eliminated 4–1 in the quarter-finals by KalPa. To add further controversy, captain Antti Erkinjuntti and Hodgman were healthy scratches in Game 5. [54]

In 2017-18 the team made their third consecutive playoff appearance despite falling to 10th place with 83 points. Pelicans were eliminated in the opening round by SaiPa in three games. Matikainen left after the season as his contract expired. He was replaced by former Stanley Cup winner Ville Nieminen as the new head coach on April 10, 2018. [55]

On March 3, 2018, the Pelicans announced a partnership with the Finnish esports organization ENCE. [56] This was announced as ENCE revealed the signing of the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player allu. [57]

2018-19 saw the team achieve their second-highest position and point totals as they finished third with 104 points. The finish also saw the team qualify for the Champions Hockey League for the first time. Defenseman Oliwer Kaski led the team in scoring with 19 goals, 32 assists and 51 points, each a new club record for a defenseman. He would sign with the NHL's Detroit Red Wings in the summer. [58] Pelicans were however disappointed in the quarterfinals as they were eliminated by HIFK in six games, despite two blowout home wins in Game 1 and Game 5.

Current era (2019-)

Pelicans-HPK in 2023-24 season Pelicans-HPK 2024-01-26.jpg
Pelicans-HPK in 2023-24 season

During the season, Nieminen's contract status was under heavy speculation and he was finally extended on April 12, 2019. [59] Alongside Kaski, Pelicans suffered notable departures as key players such as Jesse Saarinen, Mikko Kousa and Hynek Zohorna left the team. [60] [61] [62] In the CHL, Pelicans failed to qualify from the group stage. In the 2019-20 Liiga, the team started to fall gradually in the standings after a promising start and finally after a disappointing run of just four wins in 16 games, Nieminen was fired from the club on November 30, 2019. [63] He was replaced by his assistant coach, Jesse Welling. The change had little effect and when the season was cancelled with one day left of the regular season due to COVID-19 pandemic [64] the Pelicans were 14th, five points ahead of bottom-placed Vaasan Sport.

Season records

This is a partial list of latest seasons completed by the Pelicans. For the full season-by-season history, see List of SM-liiga seasons

SeasonGamesWonLostOTWOTLPointsGoals
for
Goals
against
RankPostseason
2001–02 56271942681571525Lost quarter-final
2002–03 561335243612018112Out of Playoffs
2003–04 567371112711022714Out of Playoffs
2004–05 567363103710023014Out of Playoffs
2005–06 561829456712517112Out of Playoffs
2006–07 561924767714715110Lost first round
2007–08 56281954981761426Lost quarter-final
2008–09 58222745801491459Out of Playoffs
2009–10 581827677316619712Out of Playoffs
2010–11 601737245913318014Saved in relegation
2011–12 603018931112131552Lost final
2012–13 602228738316318011Out of Playoffs
2013–14 60252465921561558Lost quarter-final
2014–15 601630686812516612Out of Playoffs
2015–16 60242547891451719Lost quarter-final
2016–17 60232188931571506Lost quarter-final
2017–18 602024798316517510Lost first round
2018–19 603019381041991545Lost quarter-final
2019–20 591236745412020114Cancelled due to COVID19
2020–21 582521102971691476Lost quarter-final
2021–22 602521410931421429Lost first round
2022–23 603021451031661362Lost final
2023–24 603117481091771473Lost final

Honours

Runners-up

European titles

Other awards for the club:

Pre-season

Tatra Cup

Players

Current roster

Updated June 2, 2023 [65]

No. Nat Player Pos S/G AgeAcquiredBirthplace
50 Flag of Finland.svg Juhamatti Aaltonen RW R39 2019 Ii, Finland
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Jiří Smejkal C L27 2021 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
12 Flag of Finland.svg Aleksi Ek D L25 2017 Heinola, Finland
37 Flag of Finland.svg Roope Elimäki C L31 2010 Luumäki, Finland
10 Flag of Finland.svg Frank Gymer C L28 2019 Helsinki, Finland
63 Flag of Finland.svg Aleks Haatanen LW R23 2018 Vantaa, Finland
31 Flag of Finland.svg Riku Helenius G L36 2019 Pälkäne, Finland
16 Flag of Hungary.svg János Hári LW L32 2019 Budapest, Hungary
71 Flag of Finland.svg Sakke Hämäläinen F L25 Heinola, Finland
18 Flag of Finland.svg Ossi Ikonen D L34 2019 Toivakka, Finland
36 Flag of Finland.svg Topi Jaakola D L40 2019 Oulu, Finland
46 Flag of Finland.svg Janne Jalasvaara D L40 2019 Oulu, Finland
61 Flag of Finland.svg Casimir Jürgens  ( A ) D L29 2017 Helsinki, Finland
5 Flag of Finland.svg Santtu Kinnunen D R24 2014 Lahti, Finland
62 Flag of Finland.svg Pasi Kouvalainen RW R32 2019 Pyhäjärvi, Finland
98 Flag of Finland.svg Severi Lahtinen RW L25 Vantaa, Finland
Flag of the United States.svg Ryan Lasch RW R37 2023 Lake Forest, California, United States
40 Flag of Finland.svg Alex Lintuniemi D L28 2019 Helsinki, Finland
15 Flag of Finland.svg Jesse Mankinen  ( A ) RW R33 2017 Lappeenranta, Finland
9 Flag of Finland.svg Waltteri Merelä F R26 2018 Ylöjärvi, Finland
22 Flag of Finland.svg Aleksi Mustonen C L29 2017 Helsinki, Finland
42 Flag of Finland.svg Otto Nieminen LW L28 2019 Somero, Finland
70 Flag of Finland.svg Jasper Patrikainen G L25 2014 Lahti, Finland
7 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Matteo Pietroniro D L25 2019 Boise, Idaho, United States
6 Flag of Finland.svg Jarkko Pynnönen D L26 2011 Lahti, Finland
8 Flag of Finland.svg Miro-Pekka Saarelainen RW R30 2019 Vantaa, Finland
27 Flag of Finland.svg Samuel Salonen LW L24 2018 Vantaa, Finland
55 Flag of Russia.svg Alexander Shchemerov D R27 2018 Yekaterinburg, Russia
20 Flag of Finland.svg Jonatan Tanus LW L29 2019 Kuopio, Finland
43 Flag of Finland.svg Miihkali Teppo D L31 2018 Helsinki, Finland
19 Flag of Finland.svg Artturi Toivola C L26 2016 Jyväskylä, Finland
41 Flag of Finland.svg Atte Tolvanen G L29 2019 Vihti, Finland
89 Flag of Finland.svg Antti Tyrväinen LW L35 2016 Seinäjoki, Finland
72 Flag of Finland.svg Jesse Ylönen RW R24 2018 Scottsdale, Arizona, United States
Jan Latvala was Pelicans captain for season 2010-11 Latvala Jan Pelicans 2008.jpg
Jan Latvala was Pelicans captain for season 2010–11

Team captains

NHL alumni

Retired numbers

Coaches

List of head coaches

See also

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Sakari Manninen is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward for Genève-Servette HC of the National League (NL).

Ella Viitasuo is a Finnish ice hockey player and member of the Finnish national team. She most recently played during the 2022–23 season with HV71 of the Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL).

The 2021–22 Naisten Liiga season was the thirty-ninth season of the Naisten Liiga, the premier level of women's ice hockey in Finland, since the league's establishment as the Naisten SM-sarja in 1982. The season began on 11 September 2021 and concluded on 20 March 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lenni Hämeenaho</span> Finnish ice hockey player (born 2004)

Lenni Hämeenaho is a Finnish professional ice hockey right wing who currently plays for Porin Ässät of the Finnish Liiga. He was selected in the 2nd round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, 58th overall by the New Jersey Devils.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Porin Ässät (men's ice hockey)</span>

The history of the Porin Ässät starts in 1925, when Porin Palloilijat was established, even though PoPa is often considered as a separate club from Ässät.

The 2012–13 Porin Ässät season was the club's 37th season in the SM-liiga and the 45th season at the top-level of ice hockey in Finland. Towards the end of the regular season, Ässät won 14 matches in a row and did not miss a single point during the last 16 regular season matches. Ässät finished fourth in the regular season, being only one point away from the 3rd placed JYP. The season eventually ended in Kanada-malja championship celebrations after Ässät beat Tappara Tampere in the finals. The championship was Ässät's third.

The 2013–14 Porin Ässät season was the club's 38th season in the SM-liiga and the 46th season at the top-level of ice hockey in Finland. In the previous season, Ässät had won their third Finnish championship in its history by defeating Tappara in the finals. With this, Ässät's season started at home against Lukko by raising the championship banner to the roof of the Pori Ice Hall. The season went poorly for Ässät, as the team's ranking was third last in the regular season. Only TPS and KalPa collected fewer points.

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